Street-cleaning machine.



R. A. RUTHBRFURD & M. CRAVEN.

STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1a. 1996.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

1626c for? J Va. 7 W v Cd/fhe 56:

R. A. RUTHBRPURD dz M. CRAVEN.

STREET CLEANISG MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILID r1312. 14, 1906.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

2 KEEETS-SHIZET 2.

STATE$ PAEEIFIT @FFICE.

ROBERT A. RUTHERFURD AND MACDONQUGH CRAVEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STREET-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed Fc'i-rnzry 14. 1965. Serial 350. 301.032

'snekccl up with air and carried to :i centrifugal separator, wherc the (lust or (iirt is separated from the air. the air going in one direction in some cases being returned to th point vvhcrc zhc dirt is being sucked it) from the pavement, and the dirt in another direction and delivered to a suitable recepmale.

Another object is to produce machine by which clirt is lonsnnd from the pavement by a number of brushes or other loosening inc-ans anal taken up through a ninnher of snction nozzles adjacent to said brushes and place] at an acute- :ingle to the poreincnt.

.lnoihcr object is to produce a nnichine in xhicl. thc steering gem is connected with the rear wheels of the motor vehicle, and the brnshcn; and operating mechanism for loosening the dirt on thepavcnicnt, and other operating parts. are placed at the front; of thc nnichine.

Anothvr object is to arrange a series of coinpm'ntircly short brushes n-cfvrnbly out of line with czich other and with ovcrlnpying curls. the brushes bring 0 connected to the frnnic uf ll? inuchinc that they will hm'c :1 free vertical nio'rcnient indcpeinlcntlv of curl) nthcr to permit them to follow the irregularities of a pavement also iIHlQPQH- Gently of each other.

Other objects will appear from the hereinafter description.

Our invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which the same parts are indicated by the some reference char acters.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is 'a side elevation with some of the "parts in ver;

ticnl secti n. ig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a top plan iew of the prufcrrerl form of nozzle. Fig. 5 is n sc z'ion on line 5 of Fig. 4.

The pure hars -T A on the drawing rcprbnts the frame of a motor vehicle having ccxtcnsionse A on which the working B represents the front wheels and B the ear winds of the machine. In this; inn- 1 no the steering gear C is connected to rear Wheels B instead of to the front the front of the machine on the frame A A is mounted the driving engine I which constitutes a prime mover and is of any convenient construction, a two cylinrlcr gnsolcizc cnginc being shoivn.

Jonrnulvcl in the frame A and driven from the engine by n sprocket chain E is a shaft F. As shown in the drawing, this chain pass-rs through the casing G of the speed gearing.

I rc rcscnts the casing of the clutch Jain sm. is the speed gearing and 1 incchiiniszn form no part. of this inl on thr-jv are not illustrated.

c :iXlc-s l of the whorls B are connected to the shaft F by the sproc ct chains J, thron ii which power is trnnsniittcd to drive the chine ovcr the pa'vcment. While dirt may be scraped or. loosened from the pavement by any suitablerncnnsi pincerl within range of operation of the suction device. yet we prefer to use rotary brushes, one or morc being set out of liiw win: thc ther and with their enils overlapp ng. '2 also pivot the brushes t move vertically independently of each other so that thcv can enter any depressions in the pavement, which would not bc the case if one brush extending entirely across the nuichine ivcrc nerd. As shown. one of these brushes K is placed near th middle of the nniclzine. his brush is journalerl to the rear ends of the arms L, the other ends of llicSe arms being loosely connected to the shaft 1- l m-\vard of this center brush and outside thereof, but with their in'ter ends overlap ping the cmls of the middle brush, are placed brushes K K These two brushes are journnlccl in the rear ends respectively. of the pairs of arms L U, the forward coils of said arms being: iooscly connected to the shaft F'- jonrnalcd in the frame A and side extensions A thereof, forward of and parallel to the stated. The brush K is rotated by the sprocket chain M extending from the sprocket wheel X on one end of the axle of the brush to a sprocxct wheel on the shaft F. The brushes K K are rotated respectively by the sprocket chains M M extendinc from the sprocket wheels N N on one end of each .of the emu-as K to the sprocket wheels 0" (It on the shaft F. The shaft 1 is driven a sprocket chain P from the shaft F.

Q. Q. (3* are suction nozzles which are flattened or broadened at their ends to the full length of the brushes K, K, K

t, t, R are shields or hoods semi-cylirr drical in cross section, placed over the top of the brusnes. These hoods are preferably formed integral with the. nozzles and are provided withend pieces 1', r, 1' through which the shafts of the brushes extend. and by which the hoods are carried. The hoods being connected to the nozzles and being mounted on the shafts of the brushes, the hoods and nozzles will take of the vertical morenn-nt of the brushes when moving over any uneven parts of the pavement.

S, S, are pi 3 connected to the nozzles Q, Q, Q to the lower 'l. which is secured to a dirt tank or receptacle U mounted on the rear part of the frame A.- Tbese pipes,

or some portions thereof, are flexible to per.-

init Lllt. nozzles to more vertically, as 311st described.

livlween the blower 'l and the receptacle l is a power driven separator Vi to which the dust-laden air is delivered by the blower and within which the. dust or dirt is separated from the air by centrifugal action. An important part of our present. invention consists in so relating the blower and the separator that there will be a correspondence of action betwen the two; any increase in the power of the fan. for example, resulting in a rri-spoialing ncrease in the action of the separator. and any decrease of the power of the fan similarly resulting in u corresponding decrease in the action of the separator, whereby an eileciive separation of the dust and dirt from the air is accomplished at all times, and liability of clogging of the separator is overcome. In' the apparatus hen-in shown the fan and the rotary element of the centrifugal separator are gea ed to gcther and one derives motion from the other. It is preferred to drive the separator from the blower, and the shaft t of the latter, therefore, is provided with a pulley T which is connected by'a belt V with the fly wheel I) of the engine: and said shaft 6 is, further, provided with a bevel gear P, which meshes with another bevel gear a mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft- Z,'tl1e upper end of which has a pulley .2 connected b .1 belt Z with a pulley w" on the shaft of the. drum (the rotati e element) of theseparator. \l'hile this is: an cilicient means for transmitting movement from the prime {never and between the blower and separator. it will be und rstood that the invention is not restricted thereto. The separator herein shown is a cone-shaped one, and has communication with the blame:- by means of a pipe. X which leads from the casing of the blower to the apex of the separater.

The separator consists of an outer casing ll" provided on its inner surface with inwardly projecting plates or wings in and an inner cone-shaped rotary drum provided on its outer surface with curved plates or wings w adapted to impart centrifugal motion to the dirt. and dust laden air. The wings in are setv or curred in a direction opposite. to the rotation of the. inner cone that the will more rcaelilvcatclr the dirt and dust thrown outwardly by the centrifugal-action of the inner cone. The outer casing of the separator is open at the bottom to permit the dust and dirt thrown against the side thereof and collected by the plates wr to drop down into the dust box or receptacle U. This receptacle, it may be stated, .urnisbed with relief valves u to regulate the air pressure in the dust box and to prevent back pressure. Connected to this outer shell of the separator and directly under the inner drum is a pipe Y of considerably less diameter tltan the bottom of the separator, through hich the air separated from the 'di t and dust is conveyed out into the atmosphere.

Particular attention is called to the fact that. the separator is of suuli construction that it creates a. suction-ail fo ce within the delivery. pipe X adapted to lissist the blast from the fan in delivering to it the dustand-dirt laden air, thus materially increasing the etiiciency of the apparatus. Again, such separator will tend to force the air through the pipe Y and make itmore egoctire as a means for loosening the dirt c011 tiguons to the suction mouth of the nozzle hereinafter described.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The engine D is put in motion and the 1-.1acbine is driven forward thereby through the gearing heretofore described. At the same time the brushes are caused to rotate by their gearing and the blower is operated from the fly wheel of. the engine, and the inner drum of th e separator is also put in operationthrongh the connections from the blower herteofore described. The dirt and dust is scraped from the avement and ugi tated by the brushes as t 2 machine moves along, the shields or lmodspreventing the dirt and dust, from being thrown upward -tlic blower.

or scattered. T his loosened dirt and dust is sucked up through the nozzles and pipes to The di t and dust laden 8.11 is then forced bv the blower into the separator through the pipe that extends from the. lrluwcr to the top of the separator. As this dirt. and dust laden air enters the separator, the heavier particles are thrown against the outer walls of the separator and aga nst the inner wings thereof, and all down into the dirt or dust recepta le. The air with the dirt and'dust removed therefrom is furced out through the pipe located at the lower end or" the separat r. If tl=e machine should strike any inequalities or depressions in the pavement. the brushes will rise and full as tl eT pa s over the 521.3119, carrying the moods and n zzles with them as heretoforestated.

As one of the objects of our invention to to 'en the dust from the pavement and an: El e dust and dirt laden air to 21 sepnrluivr where the air and dirt separated, it is evident that any convenient means for loosening the dirtirom the pavement and sui-king it up thcreflem by an air exhaust would be within the sc pe of our invention.

Instead of mounting the brushes as herein shown, they may be connected to the frame cf the machine in any other suitable manner, and other forms of gearing may be used to operate the brushes. the blower or the separator.

Sometimes it may be desirable to return the air separated from the dus v and dirt froui'the separator to the point, Wl'lQl'ithe dirt is being loosened from the pavement, for the purpose of assisting in the agitation and removal of dirt from the pavement. instead of permitting it to escape into the atmosphere, as heretofore described; and our invention, therefore. contemplates as one of its important features the provision of mean whereby the dirtenddust freed air may he either returned, as a blast, to the Movement.- contiguous to the brushes, or diverted as aforesaid and diselmr ed directly into the air u-Lhout performmg any f -yi m ,nnseniug and agitating the dirt oi or umr the :J'C'fl of suction. In Figs. 2, 4 and 3 have shown a construction by Whirl this may be done. To the top of each izmnl is secured a curved plate leaving a sir 'c ix-tween the hood and said plate. This is ontracted and is connected by a pig will: the :air exit pipe of the separator. Hu tin driu ing the pa 2 marked it reprc ttli i the :ilzm ieferred to. which is connected to the lion-l, S is the space betwe n the hood and the Sltld plate. S" is the pipe which connects space with the air 'exit pipe of the separator. it will be noticed that the plate over the hood is 01" less width than the hood. This for the purpose of preventing the air from camping at the sides. The forward ends of the hoods and the plate f rm flattened nozzle S", zis shown. \Ve have. provided the air exit pipe from the separator with a valve to be moved to permit the air from the separator to escnpe into the atmosphere or to driven bsclt through the. pipe S, lepending'upon which \vav thc valve is turned, to the place where the dirt is being scraped from the pavement. by the, brushes or other means. In operation, suppose the valve Y" is turned so as to prevent the air escaping through the pi e to the atmosphere, but to permit it to inn through the. pipe S, it will be seen that lllE air as it comes from the separator is forced through said pipe S through the contracted nozzle S" and impinging upon the pavement will ac; as :1 blast to loosen the dirt and dust on the pavement, which together with the dirt and dust loosened by the brushes or scraping device, will be is lien up by the exhaust nozzles.

is many changes could be made. in the above construction and many apparently Widely difierent embodiments of our invention could be made without. departing from the scope thereof, we. intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall he interprcted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secureoy Letters Patent ist- 1. In a street cleaning machine, the combination of means for I'QEHOYlIlg the dust and dirt from the surf '.e to be cleuned, comprising suction and blast. chambers with m nths open to such surface, means for sqiureting the (lust and dirtfrom the air, having an air exit, means tln'ou ,h which said exit has separate connection with the atmosphere and with the blast chamber. a valve adapted to divert the air into either of said conuecting means, and means for drawing the dustand-dirt laden air into the suction chamber and delivering the some to the separator.

2. In :1 street cleaning machine, a nozzle having suction and blast chambers, means arranged in the nozzle between said chamhers and adapted to loosen the dirt, suction means communicating with the suction chamber. a separator into which the dirtand-dust laden air is delivered. and means for conveving the separated air to the blast chamber.

3. In a street cleaning machine, a rotary brush. suction and bla t chambers on opposite sides the eof, a wall arranged between said chambers and serving as 31 hood to the brush, suction means communicating with the suction chamber, and means for delivering air to the blast chmnbcr.

4. In a street cleaning machine. a rotary brush. a nozzle adapted to cover said brush and provided with suctionand blast chamhers on opposite sides of the latter, suction means communicating with the suction chamber, a separator into which-the dustand-dirtladen air is delivered, said eparator having an air exit, and ineansfor con- Yeying the air from said exit to t'u'blast chamber.

In a street cleaning machine, a rotary brush and its shaft, mounted to freely follow the inequalities of the surface to be cleaned, a nozzle. having a suction chamber and achamber constituting a hood for the brush, said nozzle mounted upon the brush shaft and partaking of the rising and falling movements thereof, and means for lifting the dirt. and dust. through said nozzle.

6. In a street cleaning machine, rotary brushes located at the forward end thereof out of line with each other but with their adjacent ends overlap ing, means or connecting the brushes to the machine so as to it them to have free rising and falling neiit, means for driving said brushes, es extending over the tops of the brushes, and connected therewith to partake of the rising and falling movements thereof, a pipe connected-to each of the nozzles and communicatir with the inlet of a rotary blower, said blower, a delivery pipe extending from the blower a dust receptacle and a srator between the receptacle and outlet of t-he delivery pi e.

T. In a streetc caning me --.hinc, a rotary brush, a. nozzle adapted to cover said brush and provided with suction and blast chambers on opposite. sides of the latter, suction creating means communicating with the suct-ion chamber, a. separator into'which the dust-and-dirt laden air is delivered, an air conduit leading from said separator to the open air, an air conduit leading from the separator to the blast-chamber, and a valve adapted to close one of said conduits.

8. In a streetcleaning machine, rotary brushes located at the forward end thereof adapted to loosen dirt and dust on a purement, said brushes being out, of line with each other but with their adj acent ends over lapping, means for connecting the brushes to the machine so as to give them a. free vertical movement, means on the forward part chine, and a dust receptacle connected to and commun ring with said separator, and means W .c-rcby the speed of the brushes and blower are so controlled that the speed of the blower will be increased with an in rease of the. speed of the brushes.

9. In a street cleaning machine, rotar brushes lo ated at the forward end thereof adapted t loosen dirt and dust on a pave ment, said brushes being out of line wi h each other but with their'adjacent ends overlapping. means for connecting the brus. es to the machine so as to gi e them a free vertical movement, means on the forward part of the mar -hie for d! ring 'said, brushes, nozzles extending over inc top of the brusi s and connected therewith to partake of the rising and falling movements thereof, :1 inc connected to each of said nozzles and communicating with the inlet of a rotary blower, said rotary blower, a separator mounted at the rear of the machine, a delivery pipe extending from said blower to the separator, a dust receptacle connected to and communicatingwith said separator, a ipe communicating with said separator an having its exit end adjacent to the said brushes andnozzls, the said brushes and blower being driven from the same. source of power, and means whereby the speed of the brushes and blower are so controlled that the specdof the blower will-v be increased with an increase of the speed of the brushes.

10. In a street-sweeper, a plurality of separately-mounted rotative sweener-elements, means for allowing, rer ai movement thereof to follow inequaht in the surface to be cleaned, a hood covering each of said sweeper-elements, means 11 allowing the hoods to follow the up and down I]'l0\"(:lll9llt$ of the sweeper-elements, conduits leading from the hoods, a suctioirtan having its casing suitably connected to the conduits, a dnst collector, a casing iiu-rc'lor suitably joined to the fan-casing, means for ro toting the sweeper-elements and the suction fan, and means geared to said fan tor operating the dost-collector.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands at the city, county invl l t-ate of New York. this thirteenth day of February,

ROBERT A. RUTHERFUR'). MACDOXOUGH CRAVEN.

In presence of- T. R. RICHARDS, JOBS J. RANAGAN. 

